Mak, Ho Ling. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-53). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.iv / List of Tables v --- p.ii / List of Figures vi --- p.ii / List of Appendices --- p.ix / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Method --- p.23 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Results --- p.31 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Discussion --- p.38 / References --- p.49

In 2009 there were 3.28 million non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). Of these injuries and illnesses, 965,000 resulted in lost days from work. In addition there were 4,340 workplace fatalities. Given the number of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, and the associated direct and indirect costs, organizations have sought to improve safety at work. Safety climate and safety motivation are two variables hypothesized to affect safety behaviors and safety outcomes. Safety climate refers to the shared perceptions of workgroup members, of the organizations' commitment to safety as evidenced by heir immediate supervisors' pattern of implementing safety policies and procedures (Zohar, 2003). Therefore, the workgroup supervisor plays an major role in the development of safety climate. Social exchange theory and previous studies of leadership styles and safety suggest that supervisors who convey concern for subordinates' well-being increase workers' motivation to reciprocate by increasing their safe behaviors at work. However, no research to date has examined the relationship between supervisors' personality and workers perceptions of safety climate, or the effect of Big Five trait-level variables on workers safety motivation. In this study I hypothesize that supervisors' proactive personality and three Big Five traits will be positively related to workers' safety climate perceptions. In addition, I hypothesize that four Big Five traits in workers will be positively related to workers safety motivation. Finally, I hypothesize that group-level safety climate will be significantly related to individual-level safety motivation after controlling for workers' personality. Participants in this study were maintenance and construction workers from a municipal city bureau, in 28 workgroups, totaling 146 workers and 28 supervisors. Workgroup sizes vary but averaged 6.21 members, including the supervisor. The data were collected in small groups (paper-and-pencil) and electronically (on-line); workers and supervisors answered questionnaire items on personality variables, safety climate, safety motivation, safety behaviors, and safety outcomes. In addition, archival data on safety outcomes were collected. The data were analyzed using a combination of multiple regression, multi-level modeling, and path analysis to test hypotheses and answer research questions. Both proactive personality and Big Five traits in supervisors accounted for incremental variance in aggregated workgroup safety climate over controls. In addition, workgroup safety climate and individual workers' cautiousness were significant predictors of workgroup safety motivation in a hierarchical linear model. At the individual level of the model, only the traits of cautiousness and morality were significant predictors of individual safety motivation. Tests of the Neal and Griffin (2004) model showed that safety motivation partially mediated the relationship between individual safety climate and safety participation behaviors. In addition, safety motivation fully mediated the relationships between morality and both safety compliance and safety participation behaviors. Finally, safety motivation partially mediated the relationship between cautiousness and both safety compliance and safety participation behaviors. The results suggest that supervisor personality can have an effect on the on workgroup safety climate perceptions. In addition, this study provided evidence that Big Five traits are useful predictors of the antecedents of accidents and injuries. Suggestions for training managers and future research are also discussed.

Fishermen's and managers' perceptions of fishery issues are an important factor to consider when studying conflicts between the two groups. According to theories of conflict management, differences in perceptions may cause situations to be characterized by misunderstanding and mistrust, and may add to the difficulties in managing the conflict. A questionnaire was developed to determine whether there were differences in perceptions between fishermen and managers. Both groups responded to the same questions. Questions were included to determine each individual's involvement in the decision making process and to test the hypothesis that fishermen and managers who are involved in the decision-making process have perceptions that are less polarized. A total of 47 commercial salmon fishermen, who fish primarily out of Oregon ports were interviewed. A total of 36 managers, who were either members of the Pacific Fishery Management Council, Salmon Technical Team, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, or non-agency managers, responded to the questionnaire. Most fishermen were interviewed in person and most managers were interviewed over the telephone. Chi-square analyses were used to measure the differences in the responses of fishermen and managers, as well as the responses of decision-makers and non-decision-makers. The results support the hypothesis that fishermen and managers have different perceptions on certain issues. However, the hypothesis that decision-makers have more similar perceptions than non-decision makers was not strongly supported. / Graduation date: 1994

This study examined gender differences in the leadership styles of Division I athletic directors. Perceptions of coaches and the athletic directors, themselves, regarding these styles were assessed. Ten Division I athletic directors (five male, five female) and six coaches (three male, three female) from each of the 10 schools completed a demographic questionnaire and a revised form of the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire - Form XII.Six separate independent groups t-test indicated no significant differences between the self-perceptions of male and female athletic directors on any of the six factors of leadership. A 2 x'2 x 3 (AD Gender x Coach Gender x Coach) ANOVA with repeated measures on the final two factors showed no significant difference in the perceptions of all coaches of male athletic directors versus all coaches of female athletic directors. The results did demonstrated that the perceptions of male coaches were significantly different from female coaches on the leadership factors of structure, production emphasis, and integration, regardless of the gender of the athletic director. / School of Physical Education

Text in English, summary in English and Afrikaans / Acculturation refers to a culture change as a result of continuous and firsthand contact between the minority culture and the majority culture. Through urbanization, the black person is exposed to the Western culture by means of integrated workplaces, schools and neighborhoods. During the acculturation process, distinct changes occur within the individual on interpersonal and intrapersonal levels. Self-actualization is a familiar concept in the Humanistic paradigm and refers to the notion of living to one's full potential in order to become the kind of individual one wants to be. This research aims to investigate the impact of acculturation on the level of self-actualization of black personnel practitioners. A sample of 218 black personnel practitioners was used, consisting of an equal number living in urban and rural areas. The results of this introductory study indicated that urbanized black personnel practitioners show a higher level of self-actualization than respondents residing in rural areas. / Akkulturasie verwys na 'n kultuurverandering as 'n uitvloeisel van deurlopende en eerstehandse kontak tussen die minderheidskultuur en die dominante kultuur. Deur verstedeliking word die swart persoon blootgestel aan die Westerse kultuur, asook deur integrasie in die werkplek, skole en woongebiede. Gedurende hierdie akkulturasieproses vind daar definitiewe veranderinge plaas in individue op inter- en intrapersoonlike vlak. Selfaktualisering is 'n bekende konsep in die Humanistiese paradigma en verwys no die strewe van 'n individu om sy volle potensiaal te bereik en daardeur die persoon te word wat hy graag wil wees. Hierdie navorsing het ten doel om die invloed van akkulturasie op die vlak van self-aktualisering van swart personeelpraktisyns te ondersoek. 'n Steekproef van 218 swart personeelpraktisyns is gebruik waarvan gelyke getalle woonagtig is in stedelike en landelike gebiede. Die resultaat van hierdie voorlopige ondersoek toon dat verstedelikte swart personeelpraktisyns 'n hoer vlak van self-aktualisering toon as respondente wat in landelike gebiede woon. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Comm. (Industrial Psychology)

With the accelerated process of political and socio-economic transformation in South Africa, revolutionary organisational change has become a given in contemporary South African business life (Human & Horwitz, 1992). For revolutionary organisational change to succeed in South Africa, middle managers who represent the 'cement' of the organisation, need to adjust at the individual level. However, the literature on organisational change remains curiously silent about individual adjustment (Ashford, 1988). The goals of the research were firstly, to recount the middle manager's perceptions and experiences of revolutionary organisational change. Secondly, to detail the psychological re-<lrientation and reidentification of middle managers within their 'changed' organisational context. Thirdly, to understand the relative success of middle managers' psychological adjustment. A single case study design was most appropriate as the study represented a unique case in that it was the most transformed public organisation in South Africa. An initial research group and two theoretically relevant sub-groups were created through theoretical sampling. The data collected through in-depth interviews, direct observation and documentation, and the analysis of this data were jointly undertaken. The results indicate that the respondents perceived a necessity for revolutionary organisational change due to the political changes within South Africa. However, the actual management of the change process was perceived to be poor as the respondent's experienced a lack of participation and a lack of communication. The traumatic 'side effects' of these experiences included feelings of powerlessness and uncertainty which increased the level of organisational stress. Specific individual differences proved largely ineffective in moderating the increased stress. This was attributed to the violation of the individual respondents' psychological contract and the subsequent shared psychological disorientation. The violation resulted in feelings of hurt, betrayal and resentment which shifted the respondents view of the employment relationship. The respondents were therefore unable to identify with the 'new' organisation. This was evident in their attitudinal and behavioural responses which included a lack of trust, lack of organisational commitment and a shift in work satisfaction as weU as ensuing 'offsetting' behaviour and a reluctance to engage in organisational citizenship behaviour. These attitudinal and behavioural responses strongly suggested that the respondents' psychological adjustment was predominantly ineffectual.

Many are beginning to see the promise that the quantum world has offered those who manage and lead organizations (Wheatley, 1992; Zohar, 1997). The Newtonian world is one in which all "things" are reduced to their smallest parts, separated, divided, and analyzed with predictability, with complete control being the ultimate goal. The quantum world is one of infinite possibilities, infinite fields of influence, and infinite relationships. The hallmark characteristics found in a manager who has been schooled in the quantum sciences are flexibility, responsiveness, synchronicity, serendipity, creativity, innovation, participation, and motivation. In a quantum organization there is the constant awareness of the whole system, but there is also diversity (wave or particle), which allows for self-organization that is based on the environment and its requirements. In the quantum world many paths lead from A to Z, and depending on the path chosen, numerous realities wait to unfold. It was the goal of this research to explore the changing of leader behaviors through exposure to the models and theories found in quantum physics. From a quantum perspective this behavior change is possible; the only question is the readiness, willingness, and ability of the leaders to allow their behaviors to be surfaced and challenged. These are indeed the greatest challenges for all people as they proceed through life and work - readiness for change, willingness to change, and ability to surface key areas where change is needed.

Recent research in reducing adverse impact in personnel selection has focused on the use of various weighting schemes to balance levels of adverse impact and the validity of selection processes. De Corte Lievens & Sackett (2007) suggested the use of the normal boundary intersection method to create a number of weights that optimize adverse impact and criterion validity. This study seeks to improve the efficacy of this solution by looking at specific types of performance, namely task and contextual performance. It will investigate whether a focus on contextual performance will improve the trade-off by requiring smaller losses in validity for greater gains in adverse impact. This study utilized data from 272 applicants for exempt positions at a multinational financial institution. The two sets of Paraeto optimal composite were developed, one based on contextual performance and the other based on task performance. Results were analyzed based on levels of adverse impact and validity of weights generated using each method. Results indicate that reducing adverse impact required a greater validity trade-off for task performance than contextual performance. Application of this method would allow for greater reductions to adverse impact than the original method while retaining a validity coefficient of 95% of the maximum achieved with regression weighting. Though this method would limit practitioners to selecting based on contextual performance, the use of minimal cut-off scores on task predictors or job experience could allow employers to incorporate task measures while further reducing adverse impact

Animal rights organizations, in attempting to affect institutional change in industrial animal agriculture, face an institutional mountain. I show how these organizations, though contesting institutions which are highly reified, tacitly endorsed, and historically inertial, leverage emotional experiences and regulation to incrementally move this mountain. Using a grounded qualitative study of interview data from animal rights advocates and archival data generated by animal rights organizations, this study finds that animal rights organizations have encoded both response- and antecedent-focused emotion regulation into two distinct strategies used to garner support for their institutional change project: transgression mining and seed planting. Furthermore, this study expounds upon the role of moral emotional experiences in the individual-level process by which persons alternate into support for animal rights organizations and their goals, here labeled autodidactic frame alignment. Drawing on Goffman’s backstage/frontstage distinction, this study illustrates how emotion’s role in institutional change efforts varies across both level of analysis and areas of interactive life. In doing so, this research adds empirical weight to and extends recent theoretical work expounding upon the emotionally-charged nature of the lived experience of institutions. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

South African black Managers are experiencing numerous problems as pioneers in the white-dominated managerial world. Management and research studies have usually concentrated on the black managers' behaviour. The present investigation attempts to redress this by examining their work-related experiences. Phase I examined the attitudes, perceptions and experiences of 34 black managers, and of selected work colleagues (a boss, peer and subordinate,if available) in regard to the black manager and black job advancement issues. In-depth, focused interviews were conducted. Fundamental interpersonal perceptual discrepancies emerged between the black managers and their work associates. The black managers tended to attribute their work problems and behaviour to external, situational factors By contrast their work colleagues often ascribed them to personal dispositions of the black manager. Euclidean distance analyses revealed that the largest interpersonal perceptual differences were between the black manager-boss dyads. This was followed by the black manager-peer dyads, boss-peer dyads and black manager-subordinate dyads. The black managers' perceptions diverged significantly from those of their white bosses, whose perceptions were closer to those of the white peers. Finally, analyses of incomplete sentences filled in by the black managers identified two types of subjects. Type I informants possessed more positive self-concepts than Type II individuals. Phase II: Since the black managers appeared to be experiencing considerable work stress, this was followed up using focused interviews. The conceptual work of stress used involved models of personal environment fit, and role episode. The major work stressors the black managers reported were role-related, followed by interpersonal stressors. Role conflict, generated by their marginal, middleman position between white management and the black Workers, was particularly stress-provoking. Although several black managers coped with stressful work conditions by direct problem-solving action, many resort to emotional defensive mechanisms. Discriminant analyses revealed that: black managers with large boss-black manager interpersonal perceptual disparities, were under more stress than those with small disparities; more work stress was reported by Type II than Type I informants, by middle management than junior management blacks, and by black line managers than black staff managers. The thesis concludes with recommendations of an applied nature. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1985.